Railway-switch.



PATENTED NOV. 24, 1903.

M. s. PITTMAN. RAILWAY SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1903/ N0 MODEL.

w 1 x T W. .9 m 4 WE m W3 u xx: v q. u 2 a U r vb l r E W S k m l W a a W 4 Q w NJ 4 w h W Q \W\ r m. A m m No. 745,237. PATENTED NOV. 24, 1903.

' M. s. PITTMAN. RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET}.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES rammed November 24., 1903.

. PATENT OEEIQE.

MOSES S. PITTMAN, OF INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI.

RAI LWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 745,237, dated November 24., 1903. Application filed March 31, 1903. Serial No. 150,845. (No model.)

To a whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Mosns S. PITTMAN,-a citizen of the United States, residing at Independence, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway-switches of that type whereby the derailment of the train by the inopportune opening or closing of the switch is impossible, and has for its object to produce a switch of this character whereby the train'shall be deflected from the siding onto the main track without regard to the position of the switch or to the direction in which the train is moving.

A further object is to produce means for locking the switch in an opened or closed po sition to guard against accidentally deflecting the train from the main onto the side track and for relieving the switch-stand of such duty.

A still further object is to provide ineans whereby the operation of the switch-stand shall unlock the auxiliary locking mechanism and then effect the desired movement of the switch and cause the auxiliary mechanism to relock the switch in its new position.

A still further object is to produce a switch possessing the features of advantage ennmerated above, whereby the transfer of the car from the main onto the side track, or vice versa, shall be effected with no perceptible abrupt swerve or lateral movement of the train and Withoutimposing a dangerous lateral pressure on any of the track or guard rails;

To these ends the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and organizatiomas hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- I Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of the main track, the side track, both broken away, and of the preferred and modified forms of the switch mechanism at opposite ends of the side track. Fig. 2 is a plan view,on a larger scale, of that portion of the track and the contiguous end of the siding equipped with my preferred type of switch and with the auxiliary'locking mechanism therefor. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the main track and contiguous end of the side track at the opposite end of the siding and also shows its auxiliary locking mechanism. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line IV IV of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-section taken on the lineV V of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional perspective view showing the contiguous ends of one of the switch-rails'of the modified form and the al'ined guard-rail.

In the said drawings, 1 designates the straight unbroken rail of the main track, and 2, 3, and 4 the broken main-track rail. 5

designates the outer side-track rail, the same from the point a to b and cto cl also forming portions of the broken main-track rail, said portions diverging almost imperceptibly with respect to main-track rail 1 toward the siding, this divergence being so slight that when the wheels are at the point a or 0 their flanges are inward of the points of main-track rail portion 3, while their treadportions overlie said points and rest upon the track portions a b c d at points a and c.

6 designates the inner side-track rail, the same crossing main-traek-rail portion 3 in the customary manner and at the right-hand end projecting beyond the corresponding end of said portion 3 and terminating in a point 7, the bevel of said point being at the opposite side from rail 1, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. The opposite end of rail 6 terminates at the point 8 short of the corresponding termination of rail 3, and the point 8 is beveled slightly at both sides, as at 9 and 10, the extreme end of the railbeing beveled sharply, as at 11, for a purpose which hereinafter appears.

12 and 13 designate the guard-rails, ar-

ranged inward of the main track at its rightrail 15 at such end to provide a comparatively wide space wherein the flanges of the carwheels may pass when leaving rail 3 in travcling to the right or through which the wheels may pass when traveling in the opposite direction for the purpose of disposing their flanges inward of said rail 3, the end of said rail 3 pointing into such space being preferably beveled, as shown at 16. By the arrangement described it will be apparent that a train moving to the left on the main track will be imperceptibly moved or crowded to the right because of the engagement of its right-hand wheel-flanges with the converging rail 14, the result being said wheels are positively and reliably crowded to the right or outer side of point 7 of rail 6, while the wheels at the left-hand side--viz., at this time on the track portion a b-are caused to follow the dotted line 6 and dispose their flanges at the inner side of rail 3, and it'will also be apparent that should the train move in the opposite direction it will continue on the main track without regard to whether the switch has been operated in the meantime or not. Should the switch be thrown to the left, as shown by dotted lines, Fig. 2, before the train reaches it when traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow Fig. 1 it will be caused by rail 15 to hug rail portion a 1) until its foremost wheels at the right-hand side have been disposed at the inner side of the beveled end 7 of the rail 6 of the side track, said beveled rail 7 compelling the flanges of the wheels at the opposite side of the track to enter the space between point 16 of rail 3 and trackrail 5 at the point a. Should said train be backed while on the side track, it will obviously return onto the main track, and this is true even though the switch has in the meantime been returned to its original position, as shown by full lines, Fig. 2.

The movable switch-rails 14; 15 are tied together in the usual manner by cross-bars 17, and for the purpose of guarding against accidentally throwing the train onto the side track and also for relieving the switch-stand of the strain of holding the switch in either position I provide the following construction:

18 is a cross-rod for connection with the switch-stand at one end and underlying the rails and provided with longitudinal slots 19, slidingly engaged by bolts 20, secured to angle-plates 21, bolted rigidly to the inner sides of the switch-rails.

22 23 are links pivoted at their opposite ends to the cross-rod 18 and to the bentarms 24 of clamp-plates 25, pivoted to operate horizontally on bed-plates 26,secured to the crosstie and underlying the switch'rails to relieve the tie of wear incident to the movement of the switch. \Vhen the switch is closed, the clamp-plate contiguous to rail 14 is so disposed that it clamps said rail against the pointed end 7 of rail 6, the pressure on rail 14. being applied at about right angles to it, so that its tendency to move in the opposite direction only the more reliably holds itin the position stated. At the same time the clamp-plate at the opposite side is thrown to inoperative position, as shown in Fig. 2, to permit the companion sWitch-rail15 to be moved with and in the same direction as rail 14-. \Vhen the switch is opened by the proper manipulation of the switchstand, rod 18 moves in the direction indicated by the contiguous arrow, Fig. 2, and synchronously through the medium of said links actsfirst to throw the formerly operative clamp-plate 25 to inoperative position and the formerly inoperative clamp-plate 25 toward operative position. During this operation the switchrails remain stationary, because the slots 19 travel on bolts 20. By the time the firstnamed plate 25 has assumed a position permitting rail 14 to move the opposite ends of slots 19 engage the bolts 20, so that further movement of rod 18 shall effect the opening of the switch, and by the time this opening movement is completed the clamp-plates have assumed positions approximately at right anglcs to their original positions, with the firstmentioned one inoperative and the other bearing against and holding rail 15 in the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, so as to prevent the accidental closing of the switch. It will thus be seen that the operation of rod 18 by means of the switch-stand resultsin first unlocking. the auxiliary lock and then opening or closing and locking the switchin its opened or closed position, the result being that the auxiliary lock relieves the switch-stand of the strain incident to holding the switch in either of its positions.

Referring now to Figs. 3, at, and 6 particularly, 27 designates a short guardrail contiguous to rail 5 and beyond the contiguous point of the main-track section 3, and 28 a guard-rail secured inward of and contiguous to rail 1, and secured to said rails in the usual or any preferred manner for lateral movement are the switch-rails 29 30, the switchrail 29 extending divergiugly from rail 5 toward rail 3 and contiguous to the point of the latter, having its end bent inward and lapping such point, as shown at 31, while rail 30 is beveled to aline with and lap the inner side of rail 6 at its beveled end 11, and said rail 30 by proximity to rail 1 insures that the flanges of ti'ainwheels on rail 5 when traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow Fig. 3 shall pass onto rail 3 at the inner side of its point. From said point the outer side of rail 30 when in its closed posi tion about parallels the beveled side 10 of rail 6, so that should the switch be left open accidentally when a train is traveling from the side track in the opposite direction from that indicated by the arrow Fig. 3 its righthand wheel-flanges will pass between the beveled ends of said rails to the outer side of rail 30 with no swerve or lateral movement perceptible to the passengers, and should said train return while the switch was in the same position it would be caused by switch-rail 29 crowding the opposite wheels against rails 5 to run onto the side track. Ordinarily the train will be transferred from the side to the main track when the switch is closed, the flanges of the right-hand wheels in this case traveling along at the inner side of switchrail 30 and being crowded against the latter by rail 5, so as to compel such flanges to pass through the opening 32, formed between the contiguous ends of rails 28 and 30 by beveling the outer side of the former inwardly, as at 33, and the inner side of rail 30 outwardly,

as at 34, the said bevel of said surfaces being so gradual as to transfer the train from the side to the main track witho ut shock orjarperceptible to the passengers. A train approaching the switch in the direction indicated by the arrow Fig. 3 with the switch closed, as shown, will be crowded by the guard-rail 28 against rail 1, so as ,to reliably conduct the train on such rail past said opening 31, and the course of the train will be the same if the switch was opened, in the latter event, as hereinbefore explained, passing onto the side track at the end of the switch. The switch-rails are connected rigidly together by cross-bars 17, as explained with reference to the switch first described,and the switch is also provided with an auxiliary locking mechanism to be operated from the switch-stand in precisely the same way that the. first-named auxiliary locking mechanism is operated. The construction of the auxiliary locking mechanism of switchrails 29 and 30 is precisely the same as that already described except that it isshown with the clamp-plates 25 mounted at opposite sides of bar 18 instead of at the same side, the re sult being the links 22 23 do not cross or intersect each other. To make the drawings as simple and few as possible, the two'different styles of switch are shown at opposite sides of the siding; but it will be understood that in practice one form or the other will preferably be employed.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a railway-switch embodying the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of invention and which is susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the essential spirit and scope or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- I 1. A railway-switch, comprising an unbroken and a broken main-track rail, a broken and an unbroken side-track rail, the latter also forming a part of the broken and divergin g from the unbroken main-track rail toward the siding, guard rails between the maintrack rails, and a switch guard-rail in line with the guardrails and between the latter and the intermediate portions of the broken main and side track rails and lapping the inner side of the latter.

2. A railway switch, comprising an unbroken and a broken main-track rail, a broken and an unbroken side-track rail, the latter forming also part of the broken main-track rail, and diverging from the unbroken maintrack rail toward the siding, the broken sidetrack rail having its intermediate portion projecting beyond the end of the corresponding portion of the broken main-track rail, guardrails between the main-track rails, and switch and guard rails in line with the guard-rails and between the latter and the ends of the intermediate portions of the broken main and side .track rails, and lappingv the inner side of the latter.

3. A railway switch, comprising an unbroken and a broken main-track rail, a broken and an unbroken side-track rail, the latter also forming a part of the broken and diverging from the unbroken main-track rail toward the siding, guard rails between the maintrack rails, switch guardrails in line with the guard-rails and between the latter and the intermediate portions of the broken main and side track rails and lapping the inner side of the latter, and a switch-stand rod to operate the switch.

4. A railwayswitch, comprising an unbroken and a broken main-track rail, a broken and an unbroken side-track rail, the latter also forming a part of the broken and diverge ing from the unbroken main-track rail toward the siding, guardrails between the maintrack rails, switch guard-rails in line with the guard-rails and between the latter and the intermediate portions of the broken main and side track rails and lapping the inner side of the latter, a switch-stand rod to operate the switch, and an auxiliary lock actuated by said rod to lock the switch in its open or'closed rails, and connections between said clampplates and the switch-stand rod for simultaneously operating said clamp-plates and cansing the locked one to move to inoperative position, and then after the switch is moved to cause the other clam p-plate to engage its contiguous rail and lock the switch in its new.

position.

' 6. In a railway-switch, a pair of connected switch-rails, a pivoted clamp-plate contiguous to each, a slotted switch-stand rod, plates secured to the switch-rails, bolts secured to said v plates and engaging said slots, and links'piv- IIO portions of the broken main and side track rails and lapping the inner side of the latter, the switch guard-rail contiguous to the unbroken main-traek rail having its end contiguous to the alined guard-rail beveled at its inner side approximately parallel with the beveled end of said guard-rail.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MOSES S. PITTMAN.

WVitnesses:

H. O. RODGERS, G. Y. THORPE. 

